Really Mean Girls

Justin was popular in high school, but that popularity didn’t help him when he went away to college. Being in a new place all alone tests his nerve and his trust when he meets Jenny and Becky. Their fun-loving attitude is a great smokescreen for their mean-spirited tactics to maintain control. Justin’s depression clouds his judgement and he trusts the girls to help him adjust to college life and shares a very personal secret he has struggled with for years. The girls take it upon themselves to help Justin only to turn the tables on him and leave him facing a frightening and uncertain future.

2 thoughts on “Really Mean Girls”

Had it not been for the fact that M.C. Questgend wrote it, I likely would have given Really Mean Girls a pass. As much as I might be intrigued by A Story about a Confused College Student, the cruelty and humiliation that the title suggests gives me pause.

Fortunately, while there are some uncomfortable moments here, cruel pranks that reminded me of darker days, M.C. uses them to make the ending shine that much brighter.

This is, in many ways, a coming out story. Justin is an outsider, struggling to fit in with a new school and a new community, and feeling entirely overwhelmed by it. Those emotional elements are exceptionally well done, with his vulnerability really drawing the reader in and making them care about the story. His gender uncertainties, and the associated curiosities, are not driving forces in his unhappiness, but they do come to be instrumental in creating a chance for happiness.

This is a hard story to talk about without spoilers, but suffice to say there are ups and downs, high points and lows, and swings from cruel humiliation to sweet encouragement. There are also double crosses and hidden agendas, so do not get too comfortable.

I love how M.C. captures the pleasures of dressing, and the comfort of realizing a feminine role or persona. Despite – or, perhaps, because of – the Really Mean Girls, this feels like a real story, with a genuine transformation for a young person coming to terms with their gender and sexuality. It is a bit hard to read at times, only because I felt so much for him, but a fantastic story.